The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of OTAs that started on Tuesday. This is the first time the whole team is together before the mandatory minicamp and training camp start in the coming weeks.
The 49ers decided to make an addition on Wednesday when they signed punter Thomas Morstead, sparking that there will be a competition this summer.
It was a reunion for defensive Robert Saleh and Morstead, who were together with the New York Jets from 2023 and 2024. Later on in the day, a former Jets defender landed in SF. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that LB Chazz Surratt is signing with San Francisco.
Chazz Surratt Signed With the 49ers
Surrant signed with the Jets' practice squad in September 2022. He entered the league as a third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL draft.
While he was with the Jets under Saleh, he served as a depth option and special-teams contributor. In 41 career games (5 starts), he has logged 37 total tackles, two TFLs, and one QB hit. In his three seasons in New York, Surratt played in at least 44% of special team snaps, including over 60% in the last two campaigns.
The North Carolina product will likely look to latch onto the 49ers roster, and his history with Saleh can have a positive impact. There was a good chance that Saleh gave some positive comments to management about Surratt and could have helped the deal get across the finish line.
Fred Warner is the glue in the middle of the 49ers' defense, but since Dre Greenlaw left in free agency, they will be looking for someone to step up next to Warner.
The LB competition will be a fun one to watch this summer, and another player got thrown into the battle on Wednesday.